David R. Sands
Articles by David R. Sands
DAVID R. SANDS: A chess match from an age when titans came ready for battle
The world title match between Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen and Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin, set for New York City in November, will almost certainly be more subtle, more sophisticated, more finely balanced than the world title match that was played 150 years ago this month in London. Published May 31, 2016
U.S. drops from first to third in global competitiveness ranking
The U.S. economy is no longer the most competitive and pro-business in the world, after holding the top spot for the previous three years, according to a comprehensive new survey. Published May 31, 2016
Putin-Elton John summit on gay rights won’t come off after all
A highly anticipated meeting between Russia President Vladimir Putin and British pop superstar Sir Elton John won't be held next week after all, Mr. Putin's spokesman revealed Thursday. Published May 26, 2016
Hardliner to head board that picks Iran’s next supreme ayatollah
An 89-year-old cleric with a reputation as a fiercely anti-Western ultraconservative on Tuesday won the election to head the key government body charged with picking a successor to Iran's longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Published May 24, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: A generous chess GM saves something for himself
Call it karma, or at least a little reward from Caissa for a good deed done. Published May 24, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: Sometimes a chess grandmaster proves a friend in need
If you want a friend in this game, queen a pawn. OK, that's not a real chess saying, but there is this idea out there that it's an every-man-for-himself world out there among elite grandmasters, that the top players are lone wolves forced to hunt solo to survive. The reality is far different. Published May 17, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: Mirror image: Chess champ, challenger offer complementary styles
The world championship match November in New York City may be a case of the immovable object meeting the immovable object. Published May 10, 2016
Zimbabwe economic crisis deepening, IMF report says
Wracked by drought, deflation and falling world commodity prices, the Zimbabwean economy faces deepening economic difficulties with little relief in sight, the International Monetary Fund said in a new report Wednesday. Published May 4, 2016
Flint water crisis may trigger racism investigations by U.N.
As President Obama travels to Flint, Michigan, Wednesday to highlight the city's water contamination crisis, the United Nations said it might initiate a human rights complaint in the case based on racism and class bias, a narrative the White House didn't dispute. Published May 3, 2016
U.S. racism, class discrimination to blame for Flint water scandal: U.N.
The United Nations is weighing whether to insert itself in the probe into contaminated drinking water for residents of Flint, Michigan, after a trio of U.N. human rights experts in Switzerland said that racism and class discrimination may have played a key role in the scandal. Published May 3, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: With Krush crush, Paikidze wins chess crown the hard way
America's new queen of chess is a proud daughter of Maryland. Baltimore WGM Nazi Paikidze, an alumna of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and its powerhouse chess team, captured her first women's national crown just over a year after switching her allegiance from her Georgia homeland to the U.S. Published May 3, 2016
Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy views spark anger, unease abroad
Despite -- and in some cases because of -- her four-year record as secretary of state, Democrat Hillary Clinton is coming in for a share of criticism from allies and adversaries alike, even if the level of vitriol doesn't match some of the comments targeting her potential Republican rival for president. Published April 28, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: New faces at the top: Caruana, Paikidze U.S. chess champs
There were some new names at the top and new faces making noise at the just-concluded U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship, which both wrapped up Monday at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Published April 26, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: In heavyweight chess battle, Fabiano Caruana scores early knockout
The luck of the draw proved a bit unlucky for U.S. chess fans this year, as the most anticipated pairing of the U.S. Championship -- top-rated GM Fabiano Caruana vs. defending champ GM Hikaru Nakamura -- came in Sunday's Round 4, with more than half of the event still to go. Published April 20, 2016
Vladimir Lenin: Positives top 50 percent for first time in Russian poll
Just in time for his 146th birthday this weekend, a majority of Russians in a new poll now say that Soviet dictator Vladimir Lenin played a largely positive role in the country's history. Published April 20, 2016
Russian fighter jets, reconnaissance helicopter buzzed U.S. Navy destroyer
Two Russian military jets engaged in an "aggressive" overflight maneuver of a U.S. Navy vessel sailing in international waters off the Russian coast. Published April 13, 2016
DAVID R. SANDS: Define juggernaut: Webster rolls to 4th straight chess title
They've won four national championships in a row, their bench could probably beat most rival schools, they have a controversial coach, and there are some real questions about whether they are good for the sport. Published April 12, 2016
IMF sees slower growth, rising risks to global economy
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its global growth projections for 2016 and 2017, warning that the world economy faces rising risks despite a plunge in oil prices that has boosted both developed and developing nations. Published April 12, 2016
David Cameron dubbed ‘Dodgy Dave’ by Labour Party amid Panama Papers scandal
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday became the latest world leader struggling to put his links to the Panama Papers scandal behind him, but not before a member of the opposition Labor Party earned a one-day timeout from parliament by memorably labeling the prime minister as "Dodgy Dave." Published April 11, 2016
Property-hating Russian Communists seek to copyright red star symbol
They're supposed to be opposed to private property as a matter of principle, but Russia's Communists are getting tired of capitalists ripping off their signature red star without proper payment. Published April 7, 2016